Means for treating oils



Maid! 1929- c. a. BELKN AP 1,704,277

' nuns FOR TREATING OILS dgi ginal Filed Sept. 30. 19.20 2 S w 1 P J m mm Mud! 1929. c. a. BELKNAP 1,704,277

mus FOR mum-me OILS animal Filed Sgpt. so. 1920 z Sheets-Shggt 2 $1IATTORNEDY.

Patented Mar. 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

was r. BELKNAP, or nmnnmn rm, moment.

me nor. TREATING OILS. l

Continuation of application Serial No. 413,758, filed september 30,1920. This applicationllled 7,

1925, Serial 1T0. 28,725.

My invention relates to improvements in means for treating oils and moreparticularly to an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and the like.

5 Among the salient objects of the invention are to'provide a means fortreating oils in which the entire space in the apparatus is initiallyfilled with oil under a mechanical pressure as high as that desired inthe treat n ing of the oil; to provide an apparatus for treatinghydrocarbons and other oils in which the vapors are prevented from cominofi except at the temperature and pressure desired; to provide animproved means for treating oils in which the vapors generated will notproduce any higher pressure in the apparatus than that produced by themechanical ressure; to provide an improved means an apparatusfortreatingoils in which the pressure maintained on both the oil and thevapor is always a mechanical pressure and under control of the operator;to provide an improved means for treating oils in which the vapor spacecan automatically increase as the vapors increase and in which thevapors are prevented from passing out of the still until the level ofthe'oilis forced back to a predetermined level and in general to providean improved means for treating oils in which the vapor space, pressureand temperature can each be regulated independent of the others. I

In the drawings: p

F lg; l is a side elevation, partly in section,

as through an apparatus embodying my invention. 7 i

Fig. 2 is a cross sectionon the line 2-42 of Fifi. 1.

eferring to the apparatus shown in the drawings and describing in detailthe apparatus, 1 designates a still or retort formed of headers 2 and3connected by a plurality of vertically extending pipes 4. The latterpass through the flue chamber of a furnace 5, which is provided withfire-box 6 and stack 7. The hot gases in passing fromthe fire-box to thestack are. compelled to pass around the end 8 ofthe horizontal bafile 9through which the pipes 4 extend, thusheating the latter. Oil issupplied to the'header 3 by means of a conduit 10 connecting to a forcepump 11, which is adapted to draw oil from any suitable source of supplythrough the inlet 12. Positioned between the pump and the header 3 is acheckvalve 13 which will prevent the side t e furnace, andjconnecte tothe headers Renewed July 85, 1928 l return through theconduit 100i anyoil pumped into the header. Leadingfrom any suita lo part of the stillapparatus and preferably from the lowerheader is a discharge conduit 14provided with a weighted valve 15, the purpose of this valve being topermit the oil to flow back out oftheheader 3 whenever the pressure inthe still apparatus exceeds that at which the valve lfiisset. f p a Instarting the apparatus, oilis forced by means of the pump 11 through theconduit 10 into. the header 3, vertical pipes 4 and header 2 untiltheapparatus is entirely filled, any air or other gas which may be in thestill, being allowed to escapethrough the pet cock 1'6, after which thelatter is closed. When the entire space in the still has been filledwith oil, the pumping is continued and places the oil under anincreasing pressure until such pressure is reached as will raise theloaded valve 15 and permit the oil to flow out of the return conduit 14.The fire in the furnace 5 having been started, the temperature of theoil is increaseduntil it reaches a point where vaporswill'be generatedat thepressure at a which the oil in the still ismaintained. AS soon asany vapors are generated theywould have a tendency to increase thepressure within the still but this is prevented by-the action of theloaded valve 15, which permits the passage of oil through the returnconduitl'l,

7 when the pressure in the still exceeds that at which thevalve 15 isset. This in placed the vapors generated increasing the pressure, theautomatically increase the vapor space an this increase ofvapor spacemay becontinned to any desired level 1n the stilhappae ratus. As shownin detail in Fig. 1, the of vapors which would naturall accumulate inthe u per header is governed y a valvell" actuate toward and from itsseat by means of a motor 18. The control for the latter oom-' prises aplurality of pairs of contacts 19 and 19, and 20 and 20, etc., theconnection be tween which is closed by a contact'plate 21 carried by astem 22, the lower end of which is provided with a float 23. This floatis preferabl mounted in a pipe24, sitioned out- 105 2 and 3 by means ofconduits 26 and 27; The construction of parts is such that the headers 2and 3, the vertical pipes 4 and the pipe fl V are allin opencommunication. I

The upper set of contacts such as 19 and 19' 1;

are arranged in a circuit, which, when closed will drive the motor in adirection to adjust the valve 17 against its seat. The other set ofcontacts 20 and 20, are arranged in a reverse circuit, that is, onewhich when closed will drive the motor in a direction to move the valve17 away from its seat 25. As the vapors generate and force the level oithe oil in the still back, they will finally reach a level at which thefloat 23 will move down by gravity sufficient to bring its contact 21into registration with the contacts 20 and 20. When the reverse circuitis thus closed the motor 18, acting through the gears 28 and 29, willwithdraw the valve 17 from its seat and permit the vapors to escape intothe inclined pipe 30, from which they are discharged into the condenser31. A loaded valve 32 may be employed on the discharge end ofthecondenser, it it is desired to condense the vapors under substantiallythe same pressure at which they are generated, the valve 82 being set atsubstantially the same but slightly less pressure than the valve 15. Instarting the apparatus the condenser may be filled with distillate at apressure substantially as great as that at which the loaded valve 32 isset so that-all the vapors may be both generated and condensed undersubstantially the same pressure.

WVhenever' sufficient vapors escape past the valve 17 so as to tend toreduce the pressure in the still, the constant mechanical pressure onoil will raise the level of the oil and by raising the float and thecontact 21 will close the circuit controlled by the contacts 19 and 19,and actuate the motor in its forward direction to close the valve 17 toits seat. I i

It is obvious that. by changing the levels of the contacts20 and 20 inthe pipe 24, the maximum amount of vapor space can be increased ordecreased, or if desired, a plurality of sets of reverse contacts 20 and20 could be employed and governed by a switch so that the operator couldat his will adjust the maximum vapor space in the apparatus.

From the above description, it is obvious that the pressure in the stillis at all times governed by the pressure at which the loaded valve 15 inthe return conduit 14 is set and that the vapors generated cannotincrease or decrease the pressure. Moreover, since the pressure on thestill is always a mechanical pressuregit can be changed at the will ofthe operator by adjusting the weight 38 on the loaded valve 15. As thetemperature can be governed by the fires in the furnace 5 and themaximum vapor space is governed by the position of the contact 20 and20, it is obvious that the pressure, temperature, and vapor can beadjusted each'independent of the other, although to generate vapors, itis, of course, necessary to have the temperature suil'iciently high todrive off the vapors from the substance treated at the mechanicalpressure employed. r

My apparatus is therefore capable of carrying out a method of treatingoils such as in the manufacture of gasoline, in which the dis tillate isvaporized at a constant pressure and in which none of the vapors cancome off at less than the pressure desired. Also my apparatus iscapableof a method in which the vapor space automatically increases to thedesired maximum without increasing the pressure, thus allowing thevapors to be superheated without danger of explosion such as ispresentwhere the oil or vapor is heated and the pressure governed by thetemperature.

It will be noticed that the vertical extending pipes are the onlyportion of the apparatus which extend through the furnace, and

where high temperatures and pressures are employed, the danger ofsubjecting a large body oi oil directly to the action of the heat isavoided. Also the employment oi the vertical pipes in connection withthe headers allows the apparatus to be cleaned and for this purpose lhave shown a hand hole fitting for each header as indicated at 34: and35. \Vhere extremely high temperatures and pressures are employed, thesize of the headers might be reduced and asingle row of vertical tubesconnected into a pipe at each end to be employed.

VVhile I have shown and described one form of apparatus capable ofcarrying out my method of treating oils, it is obvious that otherapparatus could be employed such as a bell tanlr, similar to those usedin commercial gas production, or various other forms of apparatus.

his application is a continuation of an application formerly filed byme, Serial No. 413,7 58 filed September 30th, 1920.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for treating oils, the combination with means formechanically placing the oil, while in a liquid state under apredetermined pressure, means for heating the oil while in a liquidstate, said first means being arranged to prevent the generation ofvapors until after the oil has been heated in a liquid state under apre-determined pressure and means thereatter for providing a vapor spaceadjacent the oil in the liquid state, to receive the vapors generated.

2. In an apparatus for treating oils, the combination with a still, of apump-for supplying oil tothe still under pressure, a connection for thedischarge of liquid and a loaded valve in said connection for preventingexcessive pressure, a valve outlet for egress of vapors, and a float forcontrolling the egress oi vapors through said valve outlet whensuliicient oil has been forced past the loaded valve to cover the floatto a predetermined lcvel. V

. 3. In an oil-treating apparatus the combination with a still, of meansfor feeding oil thereto under pressure, a vapor outlet from the still,means acting automatically in re sponse to the level of oil in saidstill for pera valve controlling said discharge and automitting theescape of vapors from the still matically acting means responsivetothelevel when the oil reaches a pre-determined level of the oil in thestill for actuating said valve. 10 therein. to open and close the sameduring the conver- 5 4. The combination with an oil still, means sion ofoil in the still.

for feeding oil therein under pressure, said still having a vapor space,a vapor discharge, CHARLES B. BELKNAP.

